Letters To The Editor

July 12, 1989

BURN THE TRASH

When the Newport News City Council voted 3 to 3 to discontinue supplying funds toward building a trash incinerator, they rejected intelligent, long-term solid waste management. An incinerator is the most important part of a three-pronged approach to garbage containment, which includes landfills and recycling. The useful life of landfills is lengthened due to the reduction of the volume of solid waste pouring into them. In addition, trash burned in an incinerator can be an alternative to coal or nuclear fuel as an energy source. An incinerator need not be a detriment to the environment. Numerous devices exist that can reduce pollutants to negligible levels. Japan, Sweden and Marion County, Ore., operate clean, efficient waste-to-energy plants. Recycling programs, such as those in Machida City, Japan and Newport News, take out other sources of pollution.

Many benefits can be realized from a waste-to-energy incinerator, and the disadvantages can be greatly minimized. This fact must be realized now that state-mandated solid waste planning is upon area localties. As an environmentalist, it is my hope that one or more localities begin planning to build an incinerator soon.

John E. Richmond Jr.

Hampton

TADPOLE TALE

You gotta be a tadpole and polliwog before you can be a frog. Of course, the big fish declared that eatin' that tadpole and that polliwog ain't the same as eatin' no frog. Exceptin' that if you do eat the tadpole or the polliwog, you ain't gonna have no frog.

And for those who declare the fetus ain't a real baby, maybe it's true for them, maybe they never did become quite human.

Laura Lee Donoho

Fort Monroe

TOE THE LINE

To those impatient drivers who insist on proceeding past the large white lines to gain a few feet at traffic signals, I appreciate you for not causing the signals to cycle. However, then you will impatiently dart across traffic because the signal does not cycle, not to mention that you impede turning traffic.

Most traffic signals now respond to an electronic impulse from a vehicle stopped behind the white line and once you pass beyond the line that impulse is gone.

Stay behind the white line and make legal turns or move for safety's sake.

Edwin C. Oyer

Williamsburg

GOOD VS. BAD

Your timely editorials June 21 should stimulate more discussion of good versus bad. No two subjects in need of debate today deserve more time than sports in your "The good, bad and ugly" and "Reverse psychology" editorials on politics of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Is there so much greed in sports ownership that the Barry Switzers and Pete Roses can go on unchecked with the owners being unaccountable to the organizations that have rules of conduct which are violated? Has this taken so long because the national leagues have failed to act, thus forcing this into the courts? What kind of a standard is this setting for the millions of citizens watching this incredible morality?

In the same column I cannot tell whether you condone or condemn the ACLU but conclude you are very happy that their membership and money is growing, which you attribute to Bush's quoting Dukakis bragging on being a member of this seedy organization. It stands against everything I find worthwhile under the guise of defending the rights of every criminal that comes down the road, thereby destroying the freedom of law-abiding citizens.

The only conclusion any God-fearing citizen can reach is that without God-committed leaders the sheep that are led can come to no good end. Your editorials should stimulate all of us to ask ourselves if we are serving God or mammon in supporting those organizations we attend, be it sports, politics or business.

Harry New

Newport News

SAD DAY FOR BAY

My optimism that we would finally see the light and start cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay has been diminished greatly by the headlines over the past few weeks. These headlines indicate that the state of Virginia is still not serious about cleaning up its environment and, yes, developers are still firmly in control.

The Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Board proved true to its name as it gave developers and cities all they wanted and effectively gutted the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act. Also, the State Water Control Board gave a discharge permit to a developer on the James River to discharge treated sewage from approximately 80 homes into the James River, very close to the largest nesting area of bald eagles in Virginia.

Another headline states a fine of $7,000 was slapped on Smithfield Foods' large hog raising operation in Isle of Wight County for allowing its holding ponds to overflow and pollute local streams. This constitutes not even a slap on the wrist.